I am sitting in front of the computer tonight trying once again to come with anything with some degree of originality and in the hopes of likewise being able work it into something of at least reasonable quality for tomorrow's posting. Unfortunately, it seems that I have failed.
For those of you who have never attempted to write a blog, a newspaper column or anything else on a regular basis for that matter, this is the agony sometimes dealt with by those of us who do. With the submission of this posting, my total for Just Blowing Smoke is now 340 in slightly less than two years. I have likewise penned some 22 columns (counting the one for this coming weekend's edition) in about 5 months for the Toledo Free Press. It's hard to come up with that many things to write about, even in a target rich environment like Toledo.
While there is certainly some duplication in the topics that I have dealt with in both of these arenas, that number is surprisingly small.
Equally small during these periods when the Muse has apparently abandoned me, is my ability to string together sentences coherently or intelligently. There is little worse than the feeling as I agonize over each turn of phrase, berate myself over improper sentence structure, and recognize later that I have even failed to properly run spell check.
Quite frankly, the experience leaves me in a state of both physical and mental anguish. I started doing this whole writing thing because I enjoy it, and the only thing worse than not being able to produce anything is only being able to produce something of poor quality.
There is ecstasy as well however (though I find it hard to believe tonight).
Every once in a while you get a phrase just right. With what often seems about the same regularity as the coming of locusts, an entire paragraph comes together exactly the way you want it to. With the seeming frequency of Halley’s Comet, an entire posting or column comes together as something you don’t mind having your name over the top of. (Well, that’s what I’ve heard anyway … I’m still waiting and hoping.)
Maybe the problem this week is that I have been on the road too long on this trip, that attending two conferences back to back has allowed me to kill too many brain cells in a short period, or simply that I’m in Hershey, PA and distracted by all of the chocolate around here. And since it appears that the concept of an ecstatic feeling from writing seems far beyond me this evening, I think that I will go down to the gift shop and indulge in a bit of milk chocolate mood enhancement.
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6 comments:
Most people dont understand how difficult it is to come up with original blog postings a few times a week, let alone every day. Seems like it would be easy, but it certianly is not.
What's a blog?
Every now and again, I think about doing some writing of some kind, but I never seem to be able to think of anything about which to write.
Roland,
My first response to your comment was that it becomes increasingly obvious that I have no clue. Then I remembered that there are some out there who write not a blog, but in fact attempt to keep more than one ball in the air at a time. (Ring any bells?) This forces me to stop feeling sorry for myself (for aboout 30 seconds).
Yes, you are right...but as you did,when experiencing writer's block....just talk about that!!
WT,
Your insight and wisdom humble me, something usually reserved for the things I write in this blog.
Buck up man, don't throw in the towel.
Just put on your three-cornered hat and juggle your heart out.
And, if you're lucky, nobody will notice that you're winging it ;-)
Three cornered hats and amigos three, a coincidence?
I think not!
Yee Haa!!!
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